UNC Health Care CEO Dr. William Roper said that his organization would be willing to work with Atrium Health or other groups to help meet the needs of North Carolina patients in the future. UNC Health and Atrium tried and failed to merge recently.

UNC Health Care CEO Dr. William Roper discusses some of the things he learned during a recent failed attempt to merge with Atrium Health as he speaks during an interview in Chapel Hill, NC, on March 14, 2018.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC reported its first profit from the Affordable Care Act. But the state’s largest health insurance company said ACA customers are still sicker and costlier than the average.

People seeking disability payments can wait more than two years to see the money in North Carolina, where delays are longer than the national average. The nation is seeing a wave of disability applicants as aging Baby Boomers contend with health issues.